GOP backs opponent for Sen. McCann; Senor challenging Rep. Scherer

The Sangamon County GOP’s central committee Thursday voted unanimously to back Steve McClure, an assistant state’s attorney, for the 50th Senate District seat now held by Sen. Sam McCann.

The party also gave the nod to Springfield Ward 2 Ald. Herman Senor to run against state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur.

And as expected, the county party officials endorsed former County Clerk Joe Aiello for country treasurer, as incumbent Tom Cavanagh isn’t seeking another term; and former Undersheriff Jack Campbell for sheriff, as incumbent Wes Barr isn’t running again in 2018.

Rosemarie Long, who chairs the GOP, said McClure, 33, would be “a wonderful new addition to our slate.”

“Steve has the fire in the belly” for the race, Long said.

After the party’s vote at Knights of Columbus 4175, McClure said he will leave his county job in two weeks. He said he’s running because “I want to turn this state around.”

“I don’t have a single high school friend that is still in Sangamon County or Springfield or the 50th Senate District, for that matter,” McClure said. Some moved to Chicago, but most to other states, he added.

“We have a very poor environment for business,” McClure said. “They don’t want to come here. They don’t want to stay here. And we are overtaxed.”

“Financially, the state is in a mess still to this day, and so I want to go into public service in the state Senate to change that.”

The decision to recommend somebody other than McCann, whose 50th Senate District includes part of Springfield, was not easy, Long said, saying she has “spent many a night waking up” as she considered the move.

She also cited McCann's 2016 rating from the American Conservative Union Foundation as an indication. Based on certain votes in the Senate, McCann got a 27 percent rating from the group – the lowest for a Republican in the chamber.

Asked earlier in the day about that rating, McCann, R-Plainview, said via email that he would “put my conservative credentials up against anybody’s any time.”

“There is no member of the Illinois Senate more pro-life or more pro-Second Amendment than me,” McCann said, adding he has never voted for a tax increase.

“I will continue to stand with the people of Illinois and not worry about what the Washington, D.C. lobbyists and elites have to say about me,” he added. “And if you take a look at the votes of some of my fellow members of the Republican caucus, you'll quickly find many, including members of the leadership team and several of the same ones this Washington, D.C. special interest group refer to as 'conservative', who voted for gay marriage, income tax increases, drivers licenses for illegal immigrants and for Illinois to become a sanctuary state. I voted no on all of those.”

McClure considered a challenge to McCann in the 2016 race, but withdrew before filing.

In the 2016 race, the Sangamon County party stuck with McCann, even though he had voted against Gov. Bruce Rauner on a labor arbitration issue, and the governor backed another candidate, Bryce Benton. McCann won that primary and was unopposed in the general election, winning a two-year term.

Long said the governor was not involved in her backing of McClure for the Senate.

The seat in the 50th is on the ballot again in 2018 for a four-year term. McCann has not announced a re-election bid, and there has been some speculation he could challenge Rauner in a primary.

House race

In the House race, the central committee recommended Senor, 56, who works for the Illinois Department of Transportation, and was elected to the Springfield City Council in 2015. He was earlier a Capital Township trustee.

Scherer, a former elementary school teacher, has been in the House since 2013. The 96th House District reaches from Decatur into Springfield.

“It’s a democracy and anyone has a right to run, so that’s fine," Scherer said. "Truthfully, I’m more focused on doing my own job, which is trying to work on the economy and to build jobs for our community."

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